Orta

The Orta were conscripted levies in the army of the Ottoman Empire during the 18th and 19th centuries. Orta consisted of two classes: the paid miri-askeris and the yeri-neferats, who consisted of every Muslim man (regardless of age) in a town under threat. Orta troops were given minimal training and were hastily assembled to react to foreign invasions, and they were often massed against rival forces so that their numbers could redeem their lack of experience.